Isaac Died and was Buried
An Orthodox friend of mine, Isaac Nash, died at 11:45pm, the eve of Thanksgiving day. He lived and worked in San Francisco at a women's shelter called Raphael House. I only knew him because he was married to Maria, the daughter of our priest, Fr. Nicholas Letten, which meant he and Maria visited our parish every so often. He was a man with a big laugh and very little guile. . .at least that was my impression of him. Fr. Nicholas went to San Francisco a couple of days before Isaac died to be with him as he died. This past Sunday, Fr. Nicholas recounted for us Isaac's passing from this life to the next and all the things surrounding it. I think the experience of an Orthodox death and burial is so different from what many of us associate with death, that I wanted to write about it. It is quite beautiful, oddly enough.
Months before Isaac died, he and Maria had ordered a casket, which was hand-carved by the monks at St. John the wonderworker monastery in Pt. Reyes, Ca. They had also researched something called a "green" burial. . .i.e. a burial that completely avoids the "mortuary industry". This is important for Orthodox Christians, because we do not embalm or cremate. So, you have to have your ducks lined up to avoid things happening (refrigeration of the body, embalming, etc.) because of legal requirements, etc.
About a day before his death, Fr. Nicholas served the Office of the Parting of the Soul from the Body. Together with the priest, prayers are sung asking God to mercifully let His servant depart in peace. Within minutes of the separation of Isaac's soul from his body, his body was washed by his close friend Bob Harrison, and Isaac's son. They clothed Isaac in the baptismal gown he wore when he became Orthodox and placed his body into the coffin -with dry ice under his vital organs to delay decomposition. The coffin was then placed in the church with his feet facing the altar, that is, towards the east which liturgically is the direction of Christ's return. For two days, 24/7, Psalms were read (chanted) over his body as people took turns keeping vigil. This culminated in Fr. Jonah (abbot of St. John the Wonderworker Monastery) serving the Office of the Burial of the Dead (i.e. funeral ). Essentially, this is the Matins service, with the canon and other hymns closely resembling those of Great Saturday Matins - Christ's burial. Some other beautiful elements of this service are: The coffin is opened and an icon of Christ or the patron Saint is placed in the hands of the departed. . .in Isaac's case, St. Isaac of Syria. A wreath with the Trisagion ("Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us") printed on it was placed on his head and a hand-cross was placed in the coffin near Isaac's head. Candles were distributed to the worshipers who, receiving the light from the priest, held them lit throughout the service until near the end. After the Dismissal and "Memory Eternal," friends come to say a last good-bye to the departed. They kissed either the hand-cross which is set on the side of the coffin or the icon placed in the hands of the departed. Then the coffin was closed and carried out from the church while the choir sang the Trisagion Prayer as a funeral dirge. . .once again reflecting what we do on Great Friday (Matins and Lamentaions) when we take Christ's body (icon) from the cross and process around the Church with it while singing the Trisagion Prayers. Isaac's body was then taken to St. Herman of Alaska Monastery, in Platina, CA (where Fr. Seraphim Rose is buried), and Fr. Gerasim (abbott of that monastery) served a graveside Pannikhida in which more prayers are sung. The same men who washed Isaac's body, are the ones who had driven up beforehand to dig the grave, and the same ones who lowered him into the earth and covered him up. . .feet once again facing east. . .waiting for the resurrection from the dead. For 40 days, prayers are said in church (our parish as well as the one in San Francisco, and probably a couple Monasteries as well) at specific intervals, which according to Church tradition is a great help to the soul of the departed. One of the monks at St. Herman of Alaska Monastery also has been given the obedience to keep a vigil lamp lit over Isaac's grave for these 40 days.
This may come across as a little too morbid for some folks. . .but to me it is the most beautiful way to die I have ever heard of. The care with which the Orthodox Church bids farewell to her children is breathtaking. It is a living tradition that does not succumb to mercenariness but rather extends her warm embrace even into the shadow of death. . .where we await the resurrection of our bodies.
